Starting device for explosion-engines.



PATENTED DEC. 11, 1906.

C. R. GREUTER. STARTING DEVICE FOR EXPLOSION ENGINES.

APPLIOATIOK IILED JUNE 5, 1906.

19i Meme:

m: mam-us Pars: pa, WASHINGTDN, p. Q.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES R. GREUTER, OF WlLKES-BARRE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO MATHESON MOTOR CAR COMPANY, OF WILKES-BARRE, PENN- SYLVANIA, A CORPORATION.

i Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Dec. 11, 1906.

Application filed June 5,1906. Serial No. 320.322.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES R. GREUTER, a citizen of the United States, residing at WVilkes-Barre, in the county of Luzerne and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Starting Devices for Explosion-Engines, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in starting devices for explosionengines, and particularly to such devices as are applied to engines of this type having multiple cylinders and suitable sparking devices, in some one or more of which cylinders a charge of explosive will be retained whenever the engine is stopped.

.Heretofore it has been the usual practice to rotate the crank-shaft by hand to give the engine one or more turns, and thus explode the charge by means of the operation of the sparking devices operated by the movement of the engine. The object of this invention is to provide means auxiliary to the engine and normally inoperative when the latter is running to 0p erate the sparking device of the particular cylinder or cylinders of the series in which the charge of explosive is retained; and to that end the illustrative embodiment of the invention consists in arranging a series of arms or cams on a shaft in proximity to the movable electrodes (but normally out of engaging position therewith) and in providing means to rotate said shaft in time with the operating devices on the engine which trip themovable electrodes, the shaft being movable to bring the arms or cams into operative relation to the movable electrodes when the engine is at rest, whereby when the shaft is rotated by hand that one of the cylinders which is ready to explode will have its charge ignited by the cam or arm on the shaft opposite thereto. The cylinder which is ready for the explosion is that one which has last passed the point of highest compression.

In the drawings forming part of this application, Figure 1 is a plan view of the upper end of the cylinders of a multiple-cylinder engine to which this invention has been applied. Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig. 1, certain parts being omitted. Fig. 3 is a perspective view showing the relative positions of the starting-cams on their shaft. Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a sparking mechanism, showing certain novel features and showing the location of the tripping-cam relative thereto.

Referring to the drawings, a indicates the cylinders, and b the insulated electrode, the latter being shown in only two of the cylinders, however. The movable electrode consists of the arm d, located within the cylinder, mounted on a shaft 6, extending through the wall of the cylinder, on the outer end of which there is secured a hub having the arm f, which is an angular arm turned upward, as shown most clearly in Fig. 4. On the hub of this arm is a boss h.

On the shaft 2, next to the hub of the arm f, is an arm i, located substantially at right" angles to the electrode d, said arm a being loosely mounted on the said shaft. The hub of the arm i has rigidly joined thereto an arm g, disposed substantially at right angles 'to the said arm i, so as to move in unison therewith, and projecting from the side of the shaft e opposite the electrode-arm df This construction makes the arms i and g practically one, so that each has the same action in connection with the arm f, which is rigid with the said shaft e. It will be understood that said shaft 6 is mounted in a suitable plug '7', (shown in Fig.2 in dotted lines,for example,) provided with a suitable packing to' .prevent the escape of any pressure generated inthe" cylinder 0.

A portion of the arm i overlaps the hub of the arm f and is held against the projection or boss h by means of a spring 7c, located between said arms and f. Preferably this spring is mounted on a short rod which is passed through a hole in the arm i and is secured in the end of the arm f, as bya nut m. It is clear, therefore, that if the arm i be swung in the direction of the arm f the shaft" e will be oscillated and the electrode-arm d be swung downward against the insulated electrode 7), making a contact therewith, said arm and said insulated electrode constituting, as is usual, the terminals of a suitableelectrical circuit, and upon the separation of the arm and insulated electrode a s ark will be produced. This separation w 1 occur upon the reaction of the spring k, which is subjected'to there remains in one of the cylinders a charge compression when the arm i is operated, as

described, all as will hereinafter appear.

To swing the arm i in the manner de scribed, a cam n, having substantially the configuration shown in Fig. 4C, is mounted on a shaft 6, which is located in proximity to the sparking mechanism. This cam is provided with a projection 19 on its side, and each revolution will oscillate the arm i, there being on the upper endof the latter a latch q, adapted to swing in a horizontal plane in one direction only, it being prevented from swinging in the opposite direction by means of a pin 1 in the top of the arm 1', engaging a shoulder on the rear end of the latch, a spring 8 yieldingly holding the latch against the in. In further explanation of the relation of the cam projection p to the latch q it is to be observed'th'at the unpivoted end portion of the latch g is slidably engaged by the edge of the said'cam projection 19.

If at any time through a reversal of the engine the cam n should. be made to rotate in a direction the reverse of that indicated by the arrow, the latch q would yield and swinging on its pivot fail to operate the arm i, thus preventing the ignition of a charge in the cyl- 'inder;

In this connectionit is to be noted that upon the reverse movement of the cam 'n the shoulder of the cam projection p engages against and behind one corner of the latch q. When'during the rotation of the cam the arm i is moved, the end of the electrodearm at will bear on the insulated electrode 6' before the highest point of the canrhas assed thelatch q. Therefore any movement beyond this will compress the spring 1c, and when the latch drops off the projection 17 on the'cam the reaction of this spring will, as

"stated, separate the electrode-arm from the insulated electrode.

This reaction of the spring is is a sudden one when the engine is running at a rapid rate of speed, and to restrict the throw of the electrode-arm away 'fromthe insulated electrode the arm 9 is provided with a pad t of some suitable material, like leather, which, coming in contact with some abutment, as u, will arrest the upthrow 'of the electro de-arm.

Eachcylinder being provided with'a sparking device of the construction just'described, it is clear that when the engine is stopped-and of combustible if the electrode-arm d in'that cylinder is broughtinto contact with the insulated' electrode and separated therefrom ,this charge will be ignited. Means are there- .'fore'provided wherebyithi's operation of the L electrode-arm may be effected without rotating'the' engine, and as sometimes one cylin' der and sometimes another will contain this charg'eof combustible means are provided for tripping all of the movable electrodes in succession, to the end'that the ignition of that one in which the charge is retained may be e'fifected. These means are clearly shown in Fig. 1, and consist in a shaft 1), parallel with the shaft 0 and having mounted thereon the helical cams to, one for eachcylinder, and set quartering on the shaft. This shaft is slidable endwise in its bearings and normally is in the position shown in Figs. 1 and 4* that is, with the cam w located just one side of a projection 90 on the arm 9, the shaft being held in this position by some suitable means, as a spring y, located between a collar on the shaft and the bearing for one end of the latter. One end of the shaft projects through the bearing and has fixed thereon a crank z or other suitable means for rotating'it. It is apparent, then, if the crank 2 be grasped and the shaft '0 moved endwise until the cams w are located opposite the projections :20 and the shaft then rotated the cams will raise each of the arms g in succession, thus bringing the electrode-arm d in contact with the insulated electrode in'each cylinder, and as the cams run ofi of these projections the same separation between the arm and the insulated electrode will take place as when the cam n operates the movable electrode.

If desired, the shaft 11 may be connected with the shaft 0, as by a chain 2, running over if the engine is bought to a stop that one of I the cams w lying opposite the cylinder in which the next explosion is due to take place will be in position to trip the arm g of that cylinder at once as soon as the shaft 4) has been moved endwise to bring the cam w in line with said projection. The shafts 0 and 1) being connected together by the chain 2, it becomes necessary to disconnect the shaft 1) in order that it may be rotated by the crank .2 independently of the shaft 0, and to provide for this the hub of the sprocket-wheels on the shaft 12 is slotted longitudinally thereof, as shown in section in Fig. 1, a feather 3 being fixedin the shaft, said sprocket being mounted in a bearing 4. Outside of this bearing a clutch-arm 5 is fixed. to the shaft 1), extending upto and engaging a clutch-collar 6, splined on the shaft 0, said collar having but one tooth 7 thereon for engagement with the notch 7 of the hub of the loose sprocket son said shaft 0, to the end that after the shaft 1) has been moved endwise to operate the movable electrode and then allowed to spring back again to theposition shown in Fig. 1 the driving engagement between the two shafts cannot beeffected again until the shaft 0 has been rotated to such a point'as will bring the cams n and w into their proper position. By loosening the collars 8 on the shaft 12' and moving the latter endwise to bring the cams thereon opposite to the pro jections as this latter shaft may be used to operate the movable electrode to the exclusion of the earns a on the shaft 0 if for any reason one or more of these should become inoperative. Means for rotating the shaft 0 consist in the beveled gears 9 and 10, to one of which movement is imparted by suitable connection with a moving part of the engine. In the simplest form of this starting mechan ism, and the form in which it would commonly be used, the driving connection between the shafts 0 and a would be omitted.

In further explanation of the relation be tween the two cam-shafts .0 and '0, respectively, it shouldbe observed that normally the said shafts occupy the relation shown in Figs. 1 and 4 of the drawings. By means of the clutch connection the sprocket-chain 2 will rotate the shaft '1) and all of the cams w, which cams are set quartering on the shaft 12, as plainly shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings. All of said cams w will have a certain position relative to the cams n on the shaft 0, whereby if the projection p of the cam n were not present to swing the armi at the proper time during the compression-stroke then the cam w could be used for that purposethat is to say, it (the cam to) would arrive at the proper position to trip the sparking device at the same time it would be tripped by the cam 1). Normally, however, the cams w rotate in a plane at one side of the projection 90, and it is only when the shaft v is drawn endwise that these cams are moved into a tripping position relative to the projection :20. This end wise movement shifts the clutch member 6 out of engagement with the loose sprocketwheel 8 on the cam-shaft 0, thereby permitting that sprocket-wheel to rotate freely when the cam-shaft Q) is manually rotated. It is clear, therefore, that when the engine is at rest and one of the cylinders remains under compression if the cam-shaft v be pulled endwise by its crank and rotated the cam to which will be opposite the cylinder under compression will be the one which will first arrive in contact with one of the projections :r and that one will of course be the one associated with the cylinder under compression. It is thus clear that no one of the sparking devices can be tripped by one of the cams in unless the piston in the cylinder containing the explosive charge is in proper position to have the charge ignited. If the unclutching movement between the shaft v and the shaft 0 did not take place, it would be impossible to rotate the shaft Q} manually by means of the crank 2. If after having been moved endwise the shaft 0) is moved in the opposite direction by its readjusting-spring y, the lug 7 on the clutch member 6 will engage with the notch 7 in the hub of the sprocket-wheel s on the shaft 0, and thus reestablish the same relative position between the shafts 0 and v as before. This rengagement of the clutch member 6 with the loose sprocketwheel 3 on the shaft 0 will reestablish the relation, because of the fact that they can engage only in one position.

From the foregoing description it will be obvious that the construction embodies a startingshaft, as the shaft 1), and having cams or equivalent devices to trip the spark ing device, which cams are in time with the cams located on the shaft 0, to the end that when the engine is at rest it is only necessary to rotate the shaft uto trip the sparking device of that cylinder which last passed the point of highest compression.

l/Vhat I claim is i 1. The combination with a multiple-cylinder engine and a sparking device for each of the cylinders, of means operated by movement of the engine to effect the actuation of said sparking devices, and an independently manually operable device comprising means for actuating the sparking devices, the actuating means of said independently-operable device being normally driven in time with the corresponding means of the machine-open ated mechanism, so that when the engine is at rest it is only necessary to actuate the independently-operable device to operate the sparking device of that cylinder which has last passed the point of highest compression.

2. The combination with a multiple-cylinder engine, and a sparking device associated with each of the cylinders, of a machine-operated shaft having cams for tripping the sparking devices, and an independently manually operable startingshaft having similarlyset cams for tripping} the sparking devices and which cams are normally driven in time with the machine-operated shaft whereby when the engine is at rest the rotation of said starting-shaft will effect the tripping of the starting device of that cylinder which has last passed the point of highest compression.

3. The combination with a multiple-cylinder engine and a sparking device associated. therewith, of means operated by the movements of the engine to effect the actuation of said sparking device, a shaft located near the sparking devices, normally inoperative means on said shaft whereby said sparking device may be actuated, said shaft being endwise movable to bring the means thereon into operative relation relative to the sparking device.

4. The combination with a multiplecylinder engine and a sparking device associated with each cylinder, of a machine-operated shaft having cams cooperating with the sparking devices, a separate starting-shaft having cams also cooperating with the spark ing devices, said starting-shaft and its cams being normally in an inoperative position,

IIC

means for moving said starting-shaft device sparking devices and arranged in time with to an operative position, and a releasable the cams of the machine-operated shaft, and

clutch connection between said two shafts. a releasable clutch connection between the 5. The combination with a multiple cyhntwo shafts. I 5 5 der engine and a sparking device associated In testimony whereof I have signed my with each cylinder, and a machine-operated name to this specification in the presence of shaft carrying a plurality of cams cooperattwo subscribing Witnesses.

ing individually with the separate sparking CHAS. Re GREUTER. devices, a normally inoperative longitudl- Witnesses; I 10 nally-shiftable starting-shaft carrying a plu- R. MONOPIN,

rality of cams also cooperating with said FRANK L-. LISOAULT. 

